Substance Abuse Articles, Blogs and Resources

Man on mountain thinking about Substance AbuseAddiction Hope is dedicated to providing timely and helpful information on the dangers of Substance Abuse as well as alcohol abuse.

Drugs are a chemical substance that can be used in the prevention, cure and treatment of an ailment or disease. Often, medications can be used to help an individual’s emotional and psychological well being, and they can enhance one’s physical abilities or well being.

Medicines can help heal a person or destroy a life. They can be naturally derived from plants or synthesized in some type of laboratory. A drug addiction can ruin a man or woman’s existence. It is disappointing that many of the medications that were originally developed to help heal people will be abused and devastate the life of someone with a substance abuse addiction.

Substance abuse is when a person begins using a drug in a way other than its intended use as prescribed by a doctor. A drug addiction can be created when a man or woman continually abuses drugs in order to get high (an intense euphoric feeling). Some drugs are so addictive that someone using for the first time can become instantly addicted.

When someone has developed a drug addiction, they can build up a tolerance to the drug and need more and more of the substance to have the same effect. The person will sometimes begin smoking, snorting, or injecting the drugs so as to reach a quicker and more intense high. This leads to constant repeated use and, thus, the creation of a drug addiction.

Substance abuse addiction is outstandingly difficult to quit. Often one substance is abused with other drugs or alcohol. Sadly and frequently, substance abuse co-occurs with other mental disorders such as mood disorders, mental disorders and eating disorders.

This adds to the complexities of stopping the drug abuse. However, it is imperative that the drug addiction is ended because constant substance abuse can be deadly. Heart attacks and strokes often occur. Some of the more common drug types include opioids (heroin, morphine, hydrocodone), hallucinogens (LSD, DXM, PCP), stimulants (cocaine, Ecstasy, meth), and depressants (alcohol, Quaaludes).

Please continue reading below to see our latest blog posts on substance abuse. Under the “Substance Abuse Navigation” menu, you can click on the drop-down arrow to see evergreen, general information on dozens of individual drugs, including prescription substances.

Meds for Opiate Disorder

Nature Road Through Redwood National Park In May of 2020, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released a Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) document titled, TIP 63: Medications for Opioid Use Disorder. [1] According to SAMHSA, the document "reviews the use of the three Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications used to treat OUD (Opioid Use Disorder)—methadone, naltrexone, and [...]
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Bipolar Disorder & Addiction

Man with sad face Do you have mood swings, sometimes feeling way "up" and other times struggling to get out of bed? Are there times when your levels of creativity, productivity, and energy feel superhuman and other times when life feels meaningless and without hope? If these descriptions describe you, then you might have Bipolar Disorder. Formerly called Manic [...]
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Serotonin & Substance Abuse Relapse

Nature Lone Tree in Field According to Harvard Medical School, addiction "exerts a long and powerful influence on the brain that manifests in three distinct ways: craving for the object of addiction, loss of control over its use, and continuing involvement with it despite adverse consequences." [1] It may appear that those who struggle with addictive behaviors have "lost their [...]
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Childhood Trauma Related to Opiate Abuse

Woman sitting watching the sunset Common sense has long assumed that a troubled childhood has the potential to result in a troubled adult life. We are learning that this is not only common sense, but a scientifically valid conclusion as research shows the connections between facing adversity in early life and increased vulnerability to health problems, mental illness, and substance [...]
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Bullying, Weight, and Teen Substance Abuse

Girl Bullied By Female Students - Addiction Hope "Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy." This line from William Golding's 1954 novel The Lord of the Flies marks the climax of the story, one in which "Piggy" falls to his death. The book captures many themes [...]
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